The Reformation period of Tsar Alexander II’s reign stapled him in Russian history as the “Tsar-Liberator”. The Emancipation of Serfs, and the Zemstvo reform had a major positive impact on Russia in both economic and political ways. Through the scope of historical perspective, Alexander II is deserving of the title “Tsar-Liberator” for making great advancements in Russia even when it opposed prior Russian culture and norms. The Emancipation of Serfs was the boldest of all of Alexander II’s reforms. To emancipate serfs meant also to work against age long Russian tradition of Serfdom. Serfdom worked so well for the Tsar because Russia was so backwards it kept the serfs “simple and loyal.” (Pipes 162) This is why reforms and advancements, like railroads and improved education, did not happen till much later.
…show more content…
The more the serfs saw and became educated the more they would question the monarchy. Serf emancipation started slowly before Alexander II. Nicholas I who ruled before Alexander II set the stage for Alexander II’s reforms by creating the framework in which a republic state could be developed (Hosking 266). Serf emancipation before Alexander II was slow but the movement was still happening. Count P.D Kiselev led the first serfdom abolishment, in which he called for state owned serfs and private serfs to be emancipated. Kiselev’s idea was to define and secure legal rights and obligations for serfs, encourage economic production, ensure each household had enough land for subsistence, improved sanitation and medical conditions. P.D Kiselev even went as far as to reclaim land from the gentry and give it to emancipated private serfs to ensure they would have enough land to yield some economic profit and flexibility for the state, such as making the newly liberated serfs grow potatoes on some of their land to counteract a possible famine. The serf emancipation under Nicholas with Kiselev’s help brought total population numbers in Russia from 45-50% serfs to 37.7% serfs in 1858 (Pipes 163). This was a drastic change but not nearly enough to satisfy the serfs who were now growing restless. When Alexander II came into power the emancipation of serfs, not just private and state owned, soon followed. This infuriated the aristocratic landowning class who fought tooth and nail against the emancipation of serfs because it would cost them a lot of money to not have the serfs working the land for them. The Emancipation Edict was signed February 1861. The Emancipation Edict “immediately abrogated the landlord’s authority” and now serfs went from having no status as a legal person, to being a legal person who could purchase land, vote, and sue (Pipes 164). Serfs were not immediately allowed to leave their commune and settle wherever though. The Russian government feared that serfs would abandon the land they were on and roam the country in large numbers, creating civil unrest. Instead, the government awarded the peasants with a fair allotment of land, much like in Kiselev’s abolishment. After all the land was divided the land owning class continued to own 2/3rds of the land, most of it the prime farming lands, while the serfs divided up and paid for the remaining 1/3rd. Even with the landowning class infuriated emancipation of serfs yielded great economic return for Russia, “The
The more the serfs saw and became educated the more they would question the monarchy. Serf emancipation started slowly before Alexander II. Nicholas I who ruled before Alexander II set the stage for Alexander II’s reforms by creating the framework in which a republic state could be developed (Hosking 266). Serf emancipation before Alexander II was slow but the movement was still happening. Count P.D Kiselev led the first serfdom abolishment, in which he called for state owned serfs and private serfs to be emancipated. Kiselev’s idea was to define and secure legal rights and obligations for serfs, encourage economic production, ensure each household had enough land for subsistence, improved sanitation and medical conditions. P.D Kiselev even went as far as to reclaim land from the gentry and give it to emancipated private serfs to ensure they would have enough land to yield some economic profit and flexibility for the state, such as making the newly liberated serfs grow potatoes on some of their land to counteract a possible famine. The serf emancipation under Nicholas with Kiselev’s help brought total population numbers in Russia from 45-50% serfs to 37.7% serfs in 1858 (Pipes 163). This was a drastic change but not nearly enough to satisfy the serfs who were now growing restless. When Alexander II came into power the emancipation of serfs, not just private and state owned, soon followed. This infuriated the aristocratic landowning class who fought tooth and nail against the emancipation of serfs because it would cost them a lot of money to not have the serfs working the land for them. The Emancipation Edict was signed February 1861. The Emancipation Edict “immediately abrogated the landlord’s authority” and now serfs went from having no status as a legal person, to being a legal person who could purchase land, vote, and sue (Pipes 164). Serfs were not immediately allowed to leave their commune and settle wherever though. The Russian government feared that serfs would abandon the land they were on and roam the country in large numbers, creating civil unrest. Instead, the government awarded the peasants with a fair allotment of land, much like in Kiselev’s abolishment. After all the land was divided the land owning class continued to own 2/3rds of the land, most of it the prime farming lands, while the serfs divided up and paid for the remaining 1/3rd. Even with the landowning class infuriated emancipation of serfs yielded great economic return for Russia, “The